The city police have enhanced vigil at prime commercial areas, under the Fort Range, which is teeming with shoppers making purchases ahead of Deepavali. Men in uniform and in plain clothes have been deployed at business nerve centres in addition to installation of high definition surveillance cameras in an effort to prevent crime and regulate vehicular movement.
Police personnel have been deployed in shifts at Chathram bus stand, NSB Road, Nandhi Koil street, Big Bazaar, Teppakulam area, Singarathope, and Gandhi Market arch.
Among the posse of strength drawn for security duty in connection with the festival of lights, around 60 of them have been engaged exclusively in crime prevention. They have been allotted different spots and instructed to move in plain clothes in the earmarked areas. The objective is to create a moral fear in the mind of offenders, says an officer.
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Watch towers have been erected at vantage points atop which police constables would monitor movement using binoculars. In addition to the city police strength, law enforcers have planned to rope in NSS and NCC cadets, and involve them in regulating the swelling crowd and vehicular movement.
Police sources say Bishop Heber Higher Secondary School at Teppakulam and ‘Yanaikatti’ ground have been identified for parking of vehicles.
Meanwhile, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations here has appealed to the district and civic authorities to allow small vendors, who come to the city to sell their products, from the eve of the festival to the morning hours.
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In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, its president M. Sekaran said it was a century-old custom in Tiruchi wherein traders from various parts of the State come to the city to sell their products on the platform during the festival season.
Many go for a late night purchase on the eve of the festival as they could buy the products at a cheaper rate, he said.
He also appealed to the authorities to open help desk at bus stands and commercial areas to assist shoppers.